Ducks give Viktor Fasth 2-year extension

After eight consecutive victories to start his first NHL season, the Ducks decided they had seen enough of backup goaltender Viktor Fasth. So on Wednesday, the Pacific Division-leading club gave the 30-year-old Swede a two-season contract extension worth $5.8 million.

Not bad for a guy who needed a day job as a teacher in order to make ends meet as recently as three years ago while playing in his homeland. When asked Wednesday during a conference call with reporters at what age his dream of an NHL career began to take shape, Fasth laughed and said: "Twenty-nine."

Fasth played for three seasons for Vaxjo, a team in the Swedish second division, before jumping to the more prestigious AIK club and being named the Swedish Elite League's goalie of the year in 2010-11 and 2011-12. He then signed with the Ducks on May 21, 2012.

"Teams started to contact me after my first year in the Swedish Elite League and that's when I first thought about it," Fasth said of fulfilling his boyhood dream of playing in the NHL. "So, as funny as it sounds, it's pretty much true (that he didn't truly believe it would happen until he was 29)."

There initially was some question whether Fasth would spend the season with the Ducks or with their minor-league affiliate in Norfolk, Va. In the end, he spent three games getting acclimated to the smaller North American rinks before joining the Ducks and serving as Jonas Hiller's backup.

Fasth won his NHL debut in a shootout over the Nashville Predators on Jan. 26. More recently, he won four consecutive starts in place of an injured Hiller. Fasth went back to the bench for Hiller's return to the net for the Ducks' victory Monday over Columbus.

Overall, Fasth is 8-0-0 with a 1.78 goals-against average in nine appearances. He is only the third goalie in league history to win his first eight decisions after Ray Emery (9-0-0 with Ottawa from 2003 to '05) and Bob Froese (8-0-0 with Philadelphia in 1982-83).